Improved ventilated rubber boot



N. PETERS. PHOTD-LITHQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C HENRY c. co'r'runLL,

OF NORWICH, ASSIGNOR TO WL H. HAYWARD, OF COLCI-IESTER, CONNECTICUT.

Let-te-rs 'l)atent No. 102,228, dated AprilQG, 1870.

IMPRQVED VENTILATED RUBBER BOOT.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'HENRY C. Corrnnnn, of Norwich, of New London county, in the State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement l in Ventilated Rubber' Boots; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereo'f, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this application.

It is well known that, on account -of the impervious Vnature of the material of which they are composed, rubber boots are very injurious to the feet of the wearer, without some means of ventilation.

To so make this :kind of boots (and shoes) that the interior shall be thoroughly ventilated has, therefore, become a great desideratum, and several devices, intended to accomplish this desirable end, have been suggestedand made Ythe subject of Letters Patent, but none of the means of ventilation, so far, that'I am aware of, answerfully the purposes for which they have been devised. A

' It has been suggested to form Ventilating-channels or ducts on the internal surface of the boot, through which a circulation of air should be kept up, but this device for ventilation has proved not only ineffectual for the purposes of ventilation, but' has rendered the boot so uncomfortable to the wearer as to preclude the general, adoption of such a plan. Besides, no very economic method of manufacture has been suggested in connection with this plan of internal Ventilatingchannels. i.

It has also been suggested, as au improvement on the'plan just alluded to, to arrange tubes in the exterior of the boot, secure them to the boot, and effect a communication between their lower extremities and theinterior of the boot, by holes cnt through the upper of the boot; but such a system is wholly impractical as a useful and economic invention, because of the attendant labor and expense incidental to the attachmeut of the separate tubes, the forming of the communication'so as not to risk the impervionsness of the b'oot, 8vo.

Any method or system of-ventilation, to become practically useful,1must be such as will not only be eficient in its functions of ventilation, but must also involve simplicity, durability, and, above all, economy -of manufacture.

'lo provide such a system or means of ventilation for rubber boots is the object of luy invention, which consists in havingone or more channels formed between the lining of the boot and the material composing the outer surface, the outer material being protrnded or raised up so that the internal surface (which comes in contact with the wearexs fcot,) shall remain smooth or flush, and communication being effected between the channel so formed and the interior of the boot by holes, or a pcrvious spot in the lining near the lower end of the said channel, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained; and

My invention fnrtherconsists in forming s uchchannel or Ventilating-tube (o1-tubes) between the lining and outer material, during the process of manufacture of rubber boots, by laying a cord or other flexible core on the lining, over which cord the rubber outer portion is molded and vulcanized, and which is then withdrawn, as will be hereinafter-more fully e'xplained. 'Io enable those skilled to make and usc my invention, I will proceed to describe it more fully, referring by let-ters to the accompanying drawings, in which- I have shown at Figure 1, in perspective view, a rubber boot embracing my said invention. Figure 2 isa cross-section at :t x, fig. 1.

At tig. 1 I. have shown the material cut away near the lower end of one of the Ventilating-tubes, so as to more distinctly illustrate the hole or aperture in the l lining through which the tube communicates with the interior of the boot.

In the several figures thc same part is designated by-.the same letter of reference.

AA'is the -foot-portion and B the leg of a rubber boot, such as generally manufactured, except that lit has my invention embodied in it.

r1hel boot, as usual,'is made with a 1ining,C, be-

tween which and the rubber portion (l are formed lthe ventilating-tubes e, as will be explained presently.

I have shown two Ventilating-tubes e e, formed one on each side of the leg B, and 'extending down along the foot-portion A to near the center of the upper part of the foot, below the instep, (or nearly over the toe.

A)t f, at about the lower extremity of each of the channels or tubese, a hole is out through the lining C, to forni a communication between theinterior of the boot and the said channel or tube, so that air may freely pass into and out from the foot-portion 'of the boot (while on the foot) through said channels, making its entrance andexit at the upper end or mouth of the tube, (at the top of the boot-leg A.)

I have shown two Ventilating-tubes, but the num.- ber may, of course, be increased or reduced without departing from my invention, though I deem two, one on each side, arranged as shown, to be a good number and arrangement.

When the boot is on the foot of thewearer, motion of the foot ifi walking will tend' to create a' constant pumping operation or forcing out of the air, and rushing in of fresh air to supply the place of that forced out, and thus the footand interior of the boot will be constantly and effectually ventilated, which vwill prove a great benefit, as one of the great objections to wearing rubber boots, as now manufactured,

is their nnhealthf'ulness to the wearer, in consequence -of there being no ventilation to the foot.

In the manufacture of my improved ventilated boot I place the lining C, which is perforated as shown at j, on the wooden last, (over which the boot is formed as usual,) and laying on a cord, (of the intendediize or diameter Yof the channel Vto be formed,) I place and form over it the rubber material while in its sticky' and pliable condition, commencing at the foot, and shaping the rubber cloth over the cord until the entire last is covered and the boot formed.

The boot and last, with the cord or flexible core in place between the lining and rubber cloth, is then put inthe furnace, to undergo the nsn'al desnlphni'izing process, after which the cord or core is withdrawn, leaving the rubber cloth along that portion where the cord waslaid disconnected from the lining, and bnlged or protrudcd outward, so as yto have an open space or portion (l, as clearly. shown.

It will be seen that, by thus forming thechannelsby channel all along between the lining O and rubber,

laying ou a cord, molding the'rnbber over it, andafteilward withdrawing the core, as explained, the exterior of the boot is as perfectly impervious as in the ordinary rubber boots, the process of manufacture is rendered so little more expensive as to enable the mannihetnrer to sell the ventilated and much more desirable boot at nearly the same price as the present unventilated and unhealthful boot, inthe market, and the ventilation of the boot will be perfect.

While these advantages are gained, the boot, it will be seen, isle-ft perfectly smooth or flush inside. The lining is not ribbed or in any way protrnded inwardly, or otherwise so as to aiiect the comfort of the wearer, which is a great desideratnm. Y

Having explained my improved ventilated boot,and the method of making it, so that those skilled in the art can make and use my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

of air between the lining and the outer rubber portion, and having the rubber portion protruded or shaped np, while the lining preserves the usual shape, substantially as described. a

2. 'lhe method or process of making 'such ventilated boot by the employment of a cord or exible core, laid in during the moldingof the material on the last, and withdrawn afterthe boot is desnlphurized, substantially asrhereinbebre set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day'of October, in the year 1869.

HENRY C. COTTRELL.. [n s.] XVi tnesses:

' WEBSTER TRK,

'.Lnonms E. Sunnis.'

1. Forming the channel or channels for thc passage 

